The Manics went into their studio last week to record a cover version of John Cale’s The Endless Plain of Fortune as their contribution to Radio Wales Music Day.
The album from which it is taken, John Cale’s Paris 1919, is one of lead singer James Dean Bradfield’s favourites. “It’s the closest thing we could get to being the band backing Bob Dylan,” says Bradfield.
John Cale himself performed on the latest Manics album Postcards From A Young Man, contributing keyboards and other “noise” on the track Auto-Intoxication.
Radio Wales Music Day will run across the station’s schedule on Friday, March 25.
Mid-morning presenters Jamie Owen and Louise Elliott will be travelling to Swansea to encourage patrons of the city’s Monkey Café in Castle Street to get involved live on air from 9am, while Alan Thompson will present his Evening Show with Adam Walton from Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold, a live gig featuring three north Wales bands, Courteous Thief, Masters in France and Colorama, plus Cardiff’s Houdini Dax. Tickets are free and available by calling 03700 10 10 51.Standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply.
And there will also be a documentary marking one of Wales’ most famous music venues, the “legendary” TJs in Newport, narrated by Cerys Matthews, from 7pm.
